Commentary

The transloading trend is placing severe pressure on the largest container gateway in the Americas, where the adjacent Los Angeles and Long Beach ports handled a combined 14.4 million 20-foot-equivalent units last year.

The decision by Japan state postal service to takeover regional logistics operator Toll Holdings for $5.07 billion is the second mega-logistics acquisition involving Japanese companies in as many days, and another exceptional price.

The shipping industry — container carriers included — should prepare for a low-sulfur fuel requirement to be imposed on schedule in 2020, a development industry leaders have said will result in carriers incurring tens of billions of dollars annually in higher fuel costs, with no clear mechanism for recovering those costs from customers.

With new international ballast water regulations set to go into full force this year, the need for new and universal water treatment technology is more necessary than ever before, said World Shipping Council President Chris Koch.